Martin McGuinness speech at North Belfast Respect Programme event in Landsowne

"Good morning ladies and gentlemen. Let me begin by saying how pleased I am to be here today to address this conference.

Unfortunately, my colleague the First Minister could not be here due to other commitments, but I know that I speak on behalf of him when I say just how much importance we place on the future development of North Belfast.

I would like to compliment the Ashton Community Trust in particular for the work that has been put into making this conference a reality. An event of this scale does not just happen – it requires an enormous amount of time, effort and commitment and for that I commend the Trust.

It’s good to be here under the shadow of the historic Cave Hill. The North Belfast landmark that can be seen from across Belfast. It is an integral part of the Belfast Hills just as North Belfast is an integral part of the city as a whole.

I say historic Cave Hill as it was the site where, Theobald Wolfe Tone, sought to unite Protestant, Catholic and Dissenter under the common banner of Irish men and women. While I still hold dear to that objective I acknowledge that some in this room do not share that view.

However I believe that it is right and fitting to talk about uniting the community here under the common banner of North Belfast.

Wolfe Tone recognised the inequality that beset society at the time. He saw the rich get richer, as the poor struggled to make a living. He saw the inequality between the landlord and the landless. He believed that the destiny of the people should be in the people’s hands.

While much has changed since the times of Wolf Tone. There continues to be the needs to redress inequality and to have people play an active part in society and in shaping their future. While Wolfe Tone believed this applied on a national level it is also the case people need to play a part in shaping their future at a level as well.

Our society is in a state of flux. It has changed radically over the last 20 years as we continue the journey from conflict to peace. The pace of that change has accelerated over the past number of years with the re-establishment of the institutions.

At the beginning of this Assembly term, I said, that we were in for a rocky road. It should be remembered that until we became partners in government I had never spoke with Ian Paisley or Peter Robinson. So we had to build a relationship from scratch while dealing with contentious political issues. I know that community activists across North Belfast have engaged in a similar process at a local level. This work takes time. But here we are three and half year on and the Executive and Assembly in still meeting and functioning.

Huge progress has been made on the political front. Also during the same period the north had the highest levels of growth anywhere on Ireland or Britain. New investment came in and unemployment fell.

However these statistics mask the reality that not all areas benefited equally. Patterns of persistent deprivation continued. Sections of the community were left distant for the prosperity that benefitted others.

Areas in North and West Belfast, Inner East and the lower Ormeau, the village and Donegal Road neighbourhoods became spectators to progress. This is unacceptable and unsustainable.

In the current economic situation the Executive is united in our determination to grow the economy out of recession and into prosperity, and to tackle patterns of deprivation and deliver change in the community.

Before the institutions were established all the parties negotiated collectively and secured a package of investment. This package was to run up until 2017. It was secured over an extended period to give our Executive financial stability. The package was agreed with the then government and with the support of parties in Westminster.

There are some mostly, in the Tory led government who believe that they can cut their way out of recession. Peter Robinson and I are committed to ensuring that this same government lives up to its commitments.

These commitments must not be broken because they are required to grow the economy out of recession. They are required to tackle the multiple deprivation experienced by sections of the community such as those in north Belfast. We will not and cannot sell this or any other section of the community short.

We recognise that not everyone has equally benefited from peace and prosperity. We need to tackle the patterns of disadvantage. We need a new approach. We need to target resources to those areas in most need. We need to do more. We need investment which is additional to existing programmes such as neighbourhood renewal.

OFMDFM has responsibility for promoting good relationships and tackling poverty both across and within North Belfast and we are committed to doing so with the aim of making it a safe, secure and prosperous place to live and work for everyone.

For too long these policy areas have been seen to be distinct and separate. The CSI document currently under consultation makes clear that inequality, poverty and social exclusion sustains division and conflict.

If we are to promote good relations it has to be in the context of redressing the historic patterns of deprivation which have beset North Belfast.

Both the First Minister and I use the term community deliberately. We use the term community as we share more in common than what separates us.

The impact of unemployment is felt the same in families across north Belfast regardless of where they live. The lack of opportunity for our youth affects all our young people and the fear of anti social and criminal behaviour impacts on all.

I believe that the way to create real long lasting and sustainable change is by acting together to redress deprivation. We are stronger when every section of our community act together for the betterment of all.

I would reject the suggestion that one section of the society or one neighbourhood can be regenerated at the exclusion of another. Inequality will only sustain the potential for conflict. We target disadvantage were it arises on the basis of objective need.

OFMdFM are currently drafting up a programme to tackle poverty and disadvantage. This is not a secret fund. It is not a fund for former paramilitaries as some have sought to portray it. It is not a programme to replace existing measure. If agreed it will be additional to what departments are currently doing.

Any new approach must build on the work that has gone before. We are looking at supporting initiatives that get people into employment by removing barriers, by developing skills, by creating self employment and business start-up.

However it needs to be more that an employment project it must also address the physical environment, tackle dereliction and promote development.

A community is more than just jobs and buildings. We must also support to be sustainable and safe.

I would liken the approach to tackling disadvantage as a three legged stool. We need to get people into employment. We need to physically enhance areas and we need to build sustainability. We need to build areas were people want to live.

If we are to achieve these objectives we need to identify additional resources and we need to work with those most deprived to develop and implement plans. This cannot not be another paper exercise. It will be a challenge to departments to work together and in partnership with the community to deliver agreed plans.

It will also be a challenge for the community. If we are to tackle the scale of the intervention required to economically regenerate North Belfast it will require more that disparate interventions in local areas. It will require long term projects and investment in programmes.

It will not be built on a series of separate one off projects in disparate areas. Disjointed and disconnected initiatives in Tigers Bay, the New Lodge, the Shankill and Ardoyne will not realise the potential of all of North Belfast and will not deliver for all the those in need. .

It we are to tackle unemployment and dereliction and build sustainable and safe neighbourhoods we must be about working and delivering together.

We need to find answers to the questions.
• How can we build the economic base of the north of the city for the benefit of all.
• How can we skill up people here to create or compete for the jobs.
• How do we remove barriers to employment.
• How do we build the links between the wider economy and North Belfast.
• How do we make the best use of sites such as Girdwood, Crumlin Road Gaol, the Court House and the Lough Shore.

We have made plain our intention to make good on the commitment to target the most disadvantaged areas. We would like to work with all to develop responses to tackling unemployment, dereliction and building safe and sustainable neighbourhoods.

The North Belfast Respect Programme will help generate some of the answers to the questions of how to tackle disadvantage.

I would encourage people to participate in as many events as possible, not only to show their support for the Respect Programme, but to also gain a greater understanding around many of the political, social, economic, historical and cultural issues which are important within the community here in North Belfast and ultimately to make this year’s Respect Programme another real success."